While he’d waited for Saige to walk into the room, he hadn’t known what to expect, and that in there, wasn’t even like anything he’d imagined. His heart had nearly pounded out of his chest when Saige had entered. Although she’d changed her hair color, she was still the woman he loved. She was still her.
Her touch had unmanned him—the first touch from someone who cared about him in eight years. He knew touching was prohibited between prisoners and visitors, so he’d been surprised that the warden had allowed it. A part of him wished that he hadn’t because he now craved more.
Why had the warden been so lenient with him, not that he was about to complain, but he needed to know. His eyes sought out those of the warden. “Why did you allow that?”
Warden Roscoe nodded to the guard. “We’ll talk in your cell.”
Quinten let them lead him back to his small space and tried to control his breathing so he didn’t panic. The shackles came off and then he dropped to his bed and placed his head into his hands.
“Is there anything else you can tell me to help your case? Anyone who seemed out of place during the trial?”
Quinten shook his head and met Roscoe’s gaze. “Why now?”
“I’ve always w
ondered about your guilt, something a man in my position is not supposed to do. I see people confessing their innocence every day and it has never been my job to question what the courts have decided. But you are different. I’ve been around murderers for years and never have I met anyone like you before. Hearing Ms. Lockwood, the victim, made me realize that something isn’t right.”
“You don’t get a say in what happens to me now that the governor has signed the...warrant.” He could barely say the word.
“I can write a letter in support of a stay.”
Quinten’s eyes snapped to him. “You’d do that?”
“It’s unethical to get involved this closely, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try to help you.” He gave him a sad glance as he stepped away from the bars. “I can’t promise you anything other than I’ll write the letter. The rest is up to the governor, and the committee.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and went to step away before he stopped and looked back at Quinten. “In the meantime, try to think about people who were around back then…people who were around you immediately before and after your arrest…in court during the trial. It would give the detective more leads and get him closer to finding the real culprit.” With those words the warden nodded again, and disappeared.
Left alone, he knew that he shouldn’t hope, but he’d been offered a lifeline and he wanted to grab it and hold tight.
He should never have been arrested or convicted. The conviction had been a shock because he truly believed that they’d see the truth. Instead, they’d seen what the prosecution had wanted them to see.
But, after seeing Saige, his body was wrung out emotionally and the anger had left him for now. It would be back before too long, but all he felt was sadness for what could have been with Saige.
Regardless of her family status within the community, he knew deep in his heart that they’d have made it work, because he couldn’t think about anything else.
As he lay down on his bed, he prayed that she hadn’t been scared off and that she’d be back.
* * *
3:30pm
* * *
With his head down, minding his own business, Alex felt the eyes of the barbershop quartet watching his every move. He paused and glared back, but not one of the old guys flinched. Mr. Matheson, at the end, used to own the hardware store, which now belonged to his son and grandson. His left eye twitched when Alex turned to cross the street toward them.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention as he stepped off the sidewalk. He turned and frowned when he realized it was Christina.
She was sitting in her car with her hands on the steering column and her head resting on top of them.
He was tempted to turn and ignore her. She’d gotten to him before, and more so now. Her confession had been a surprise and he knew, without having to ask, that Saige had no idea that her stepmom was anything but self-centered.
Alex should be running in the opposite direction, but he found his feet moving toward the woman in the car. The woman who looked like her world was being destroyed with every second that ticked by.
He didn’t wait for an invitation and opened her door to her shocked surprise. “What happened?”
Christina lifted her tear-stained face up to his. “Someone tried to run me off the road.” Her lips trembled and he could see by the way her body folded in on itself just how shaken she was.